# CVE-2021-45230: Apache Airflow: Creating DagRuns didn't respect Dag-level permissions in the Webserver

> Users with DAG Run creation permissions can create runs for DAGs they lack edit access to, bypassing intended authorization controls.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 20 Jan 2022
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** BIT-airflow-2021-45230, GHSA-4jh2-3c85-q67h, PYSEC-2022-11

## What is CVE-2021-45230?

CVE-2021-45230 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Apache Airflow, published on 20 Jan 2022. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In Apache Airflow prior to 2.2.0. This CVE applies to a specific case where a User who has "can_create" permissions on DAG Runs can create Dag Runs for dags that they don't have "edit" permissions for.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-45230?

4 open source packages ship an affected version, including apache-airflow and airflow. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `apache-airflow` | PyPI | All versions | 2.2.0 |
| `apache-airflow` | PyPI | All versions | 2.2.0 |
| `apache-airflow` | PyPI | From 1.10.0 | 2.0.0b1, 2.2.0 |
| `airflow` | Bitnami | From 2.0.0 | 2.2.0 |

Products: Apache Airflow.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-45230?

Upgrade apache-airflow to a fixed version for your release line: 2.2.0 or 2.0.0b1.

## Is CVE-2021-45230 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-45230 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apache Airflow

- [CVE-2020-13927](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-13927/): Apache Airflow's Experimental API Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-11978](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11978/): Apache Airflow Command Injection (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-33264](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33264/): Apache Airflow: DAG author RCE on webserver via unrestricted import_string() in BaseSerialization.deserialize() (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-25754](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-25754/): Apache Airflow: Privilege escalation using airflow logs (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-22884](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-22884/): Apache Airflow, Apache Airflow MySQL Provider: Arbitrary file read via MySQL provider in Apache Airflow (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-45230 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-45230 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Apache Airflow, published on 20 Jan 2022. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-45230 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- apache-airflow (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.2.0
- apache-airflow (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.2.0
- apache-airflow (PyPI): affected from 1.10.0; fixed in 2.0.0b1, 2.2.0
- airflow (Bitnami): affected from 2.0.0; fixed in 2.2.0

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-45230/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-45230/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-45230
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-45230
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-45230

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-45230/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.